1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a high efficiency thermoelectric material, and a thermoelectric device and thermoelectric module including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the thermoelectric effect, which directly converts a temperature difference into electricity and vice-versa, is a key technology for renewable energy harvesting and solid-state refrigeration. It is a phenomenon occurring as a result of phonon transfer due to the movement of electrons and holes inside a material. The thermoelectric effect includes the Peltier effect, which utilizes a temperature gradient established across opposite ends of a material by current applied from outside to provide cooling, and the Seebeck effect, which utilizes electromotive force generated by a temperature gradient at opposite ends of a material for power generation.
Thermoelectric energy conversion technology offers an energy generation technology to harvest waste heat from many industries, as well as a next-generation solid-state cooling technology to replace inefficient vapor-compression cycle technologies.
Thermoelectric cooling using a thermoelectric material is an environmentally-friendly cooling technology with zero vibration and low noise, and is achieved without using a refrigerant gas, which can be harmful to the environment. In addition, the improvement in cooling efficiency provided by high efficiency thermoelectric cooling may be expanded to residential or commercial cooling applications, such as with refrigerators, air conditioners, and the like. Further, the use of a thermoelectric generation material in a heat sink in vehicle engines, or industrial plants would enable the generation of electrical power from a temperature gradient occurring across opposite ends of the thermoelectric material, and thus would be applicable as a renewable energy source.
Thus it would be desirable to have a more efficient thermoelectric material suitable for use at ambient temperatures.